series

‘Murder at Haven’s Rock’ by Kelley Armstrong is the start of a new series

/ Pamela Kramer

Fans of Kelley Armstrong’s “Rockton” series will be delighted with the publication of “Murder at Haven’s Rock,” the first book in the sequel series, with many familiar characters. Those of us who read all seven books in that series were heartbroken when the final Rockton book came out last year with the news that the town, a haven for those fleeing society and threats to their safety, was shutting down. Throughout that series, we learned about the tension between those who managed the town, its inhabitants, and the town’s sheriff, Eric Dalton and his wife Casey Duncan.

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‘Sleep No More’ is the first in a new paranormal trilogy by Jayne Ann Krentz

/ Pamela Kramer

We know what we are going to get when we read a romance/mystery by Jayne Ann Krentz, and her newest novel in a new trilogy, “Sleep No More,” doesn’t disappoint. Krentz is the master at writing suspenseful mysteries that, at their core, are also very much about attraction and romance. We keep reading her novels because of the way she brings new characters, new situations, and new mystery into each new piece.

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‘Whale Done’ by Stuart Gibbs is yet another brilliant middle grade addition to the FunJunngle series

/ Pamela Kramer

If there were an award for best first sentence ever in a novel (and maybe there is), Stuart Gibbs deserves it for the beginning of “Whale Done”: “I would never have seen the whale explode if a kangaroo hadn’t burned down my house.” I’m embarrassed to admit that this eighth book is the first I’ve read in the very popular FunJungle series. I’m always hesitant to jump in and start reading in the middle of a series, but I should have learned with his Spy School novels, which I started reading several books into the series, that Gibbs always provides enough backstory that there’s no need to start at the beginning.

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‘City Spies: City of the Dead’ by James Ponti continues the thrilling series that middle grade readers (and older fans) will really enjoy

/ Pamela Kramer

The “City Spies” series showcases James Ponti’s impressive writing style, and the latest entry in the series, “City of the Dead,” is no exception. Ponti jumps in with fast-paced action almost immediately. After a brief foray into the past, when the most famous tomb, that of the boy king, Tutankhamen, was found by a 12-year-old Egyptian boy, we jump into the present day as a group of kids is attempting to break into the British Museum.

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Nonfiction picture books “Amazing Animals” and “Amazing Insects” around the world are truly amazing

/ Pamela Kramer

Two recently released nonfiction picture books, “Amazing Animals Around the World” and “Amazing Insects Around the World” entranced both me and my six-year-old grandson. To be honest, I wasn’t sure of his reaction because while he does love nonfiction books about animals, even those aimed at adult readers, these books don’t have photographs but rather simple, muted illustrations of the animals and insects. It didn’t matter. Once he opened the books and saw the plethora of unusual animals (some of which I had never heard of in my rather long life), he was hooked. In fact, in the ultimate sign of approval, he didn’t want to give them back to me.

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‘Lie to Her’ by Melinda Leigh is another satisfying murder mystery in the ‘Bree Taggert’ series

/ Pamela Kramer

While the mysteries in Melinda Leigh’s “Bree Taggert” series all work as stand alone novels, those who start the series with the latest addition, “Lie to Her,” will miss out on some great backstories which are shared in the previous novels. Such readers will still enjoy the twists and turns that Bree Taggert, the female sheriff in a rural upstate New York county, must unravel in her search for a serial killer. But those who have read the previous five books will understand why Bree is living in this rural area and raising her sister’s two children. They will have met Matt, Bree’s boyfriend, and Dana, Bree’s former partner from the police force. And they will understand the backstory regarding Bree’s former fear of dogs. She has overcome that fear and now has a rescue dog of her own.

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‘Nine Liars’ by Maureen Johnson is another engrossing Stevie Bell mystery

/ Pamela Kramer

On the cover of Maureen Johnson’s latest Stevie Bell mystery, “Nine Liars,” are the words: When everyone lies, somebody dies. This little epigram becomes important in the story, and I am embarrassed to admit that I neglected to read those important words before finishing this twisty and cleverly crafted novel. Here Stevie is called upon to solve another cold case mystery—this one not even 30 years old and cold. Johnson’s setting are always an important part of her novels, and this one is no exception. The action mostly takes place at Merryweather, a large English country home belonging to a family with a minor title. There are diagrams of the house and the grounds at the start of the story, which help in picturing the action and events.

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‘Defy the Night’ and ‘Defend the Dawn’ are the first two books in Brigid Kemmerer’s fabulous new series

/ Pamela Kramer

I admit that sometimes, I am spectacularly uninformed about the books I read. Take Brigid Kemmerer’s new series which begins with “Defy the Night” and its sequel, “Defend the Dawn.” I was sure that this was a duology, and I was thrilled that I would get to read both books in a row. I was especially psyched to do so while reading the first book and becoming so completely immersed in the fictional kingdom of Kandala, that I didn’t want to wait to find out how it all ended. I really enjoyed meeting and reading about Tessa and Corrick, one an apothecary apprentice and the other the King’s Justice, brother of the king of Kandala, and a feared royal figure.

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‘Flight Risk’ by Cherie Priest is her second murder mystery featuring a psychic travel agent

/ Pamela Kramer

A quirky travel agent who also has psychic talents is the star of “Flight Risk,” the stand alone sequel to “Grave Reservations” by Cherie Priest. These fast-paced and clever mysteries feature Leda Foley, the aforementioned travel agent whose paranormal abilities are sometimes an asset and sometimes a frustration. In this novel she continues working with Seattle Police Department detective Grady Merritt, who is well into middle age and lives with his teenage daughter. He still mourns the loss of his wife to cancer, and while he was skeptical about the paranormal in the first book, after being presented with clear data showing that Leda knew things about the future, he actually got her a contract with the police department as a consultant.

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‘Wildwater Walking Club: Walk the Talk’ by Claire Cook is still another witty and wonderful novel

/ Pamela Kramer

Author Claire Cook’s fourth and latest entry in her Wildwater Walking Club novel series is “Walk the Talk,” and this one is every bit as imaginative, thought-provoking, and witty as each of the previous entries. The  Walking Clubs’ adventures, featuring protagonist Noreen and her club partners, Rosie and Tess, offer generous samples of Cook’s salient wit and thoughtful commentaries. It might be tempting for some to label Cook’s novels light romantic Women’s Lit – and they certainly are romantic, in more ways than one – but to do so seriously undervalues the many uniquely admirable qualities of her work. They’re also full of marvelous gems of home-spun practical wisdom, thoughtful comments – even studies – of human nature, the vagaries and problems of human relationships, romantic and otherwise, and exceedingly clever, often self-deprecating humor. And the Wildwater series offers significant travelogs, too. Quite a package, indeed.

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‘A World of Curiosities’ by Louise Penny is a brilliant and gripping mystery with many twists

/ Pamela Kramer

Louise Penny’s latest entry in her Chief Inspector Gamache series is brilliant and addictive. While it begins slowly as Penny is creating the backstory, that narrative becomes all-important later in the novel when the action and the connections are so fast and furious that it’s almost impossible to put the book down. We feel compelled to keep reading to see what clues will be uncovered next, who will die or be in danger, and what connection to the past an item or person has that we are just learning about.

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‘A Ghost of Caribou’ by Alice Henderson is the third suspense novel about wildlife and our world

/ Pamela Kramer

What do you get when you combine a wildlife researcher’s knowledge with a gripping plot and an admirable and likable protagonist? You get the books in this new series by Alice Henderson, the latest of which is “A Ghost of Caribou.” In each title, she cleverly uses the group noun for the animal that the main character, Alex Carter, is researching. In the first two books in the series, we read about “A Solitude of Wolverines” and “A Blizzard of Polar Bears” and now we learn about caribou in this novel. Personally, in addition to the fine writing and the characters I have come to care about, I love learning about the wildlife. Caribou? I had no idea that we had them in the US until I read this thrilling novel.

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